Jews struggle to coexist with Arabs in Israel and Palestine. The Parliament of World Religions is assessed. And the differing leadership style of Pope Francis and King Salman are analyzed. It's Faithful Friday, our weekly take on faiths and religious communities from around the world! All this and more for the Pagan News Beagle!
Violence and mutual mistrust has divided the Levant for close to a century, ever since the Ottoman Empire was broken up after World War I. Is there any hope that things might change? A teacher from Lancaster hopes that there might be, so long as both Jews and Arabs are willing to learn from history.
Last week, the Parliament of the World's Religions met to discuss interfaith communication and cooperation. KSL.com gives a rundown on the conference and an explanation of its purpose and value.
Although not immune to criticism it's far from a stretch to say the Catholic Church's leader, Pope Francis, is an extremely popular figure. Islam has no equivalent leader, but one of the most important figures in the world's second largest religion is King Salman of Saudi Arabia, who rules over the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina. But while Francis is well-loved, many Muslims are not so fond of the Saudi monarch.
What's a greater threat to British Muslim women? Misogyny within their traditional culture? Or Islamophobia and racism by native Britons? That's the question the British newspaper The Telegraph asks and attempts to answer in this thought-provoking article.
Although a major religion composed of over 25 million followers (dwarfing, for example, modern Paganism), most Westerners know very little about Sikhism. But if you want to learn more about the religion, which has its roots in northern India and eastern Pakistan, The Huffington Post has a list of books that could be helpful.